Child&#39;s seat



M. G. HUNTER Jan. 20, 1953 CHILDS SEAT 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed July 7, 1950 IIII INVENTOR. Mews LLE 6. Hun-r22 W x 10m ATTO IZN EYS M. G. HUNTER CHILDS SEAT Jan. 20, 1953 2 SHEETSSHEET- 2 Filed July 7, 1950 INVE TOR. MiLVH-LE G. HIGNTER 2L I U Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHILDS SEAT Melville G. Hunter, Leesburg, Fla.

Application July 7, 1950, Serial No. 172,469 3 Claims, (01. 155 -131) This invention relates to childrens seats, and more particularly to a portable childs seat which is adapted to be fastened to a larger seat or chair of conventional construction.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved childs seat adapted to be fastened to a larger conventional chair or seat, said" childs seat being simple in construction, being easy to assemble, and providing a comfortable and safe seat for a child on a larger conventional chair or seat, whereby a child may be seated at the proper level for dining, or may be seated in an elevated position in a comfort able and safe manner.

A further object of the invention isto provide an improved portable childs seat which is self contained, which is easy to set up, which is sturdy in construction, and which involves very inexpensive components.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view showing a childs seat according tothe present invention secured to a conventional larger chair;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 isa cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3' of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5' is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of. Figure 2 Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken. on line 6-% of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a detachable tray member which may be employed onthe childs seat of Figures 1 to- 6, in place of the arm rest shown in said figures;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of a modified form of childs seat according to the present invention, shown set up with a feeding tray mounted thereon;

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view' taken: on line 9'-9 of Figure 8';

Figure 10' is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line Ill-l0 of'Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings; H designates a conventional chair having the usual seat l2. Designated generally at i3 is the improved childs seat according to the present invention, said childs seat comprising a rectangular box or housing 14 provided with an upholstered cushion l5 secured to its top wall and with another upholstered cushion I6 secured to its vertical front wall, as shown in Figure 2. Designated at I! is a shelf member formed with parallel side arms l8 extending rearwardly from its side margins, the side margins of the member I! and the arms [8 being suitably secured together and slidably received in the lower side portions of the box member I' l in guideways defined between respective angle bars [9 secured to the inside surfaces of the side walls of the boxmember l4 above and parallel to the bottom wall of the box member, shown at 20. The lower portion of the front wall of the box member M is horizontally slotted to allow the shelf? member I 1 to be moved outwe rdly to the position shown in Figure 2, thereby 'defin'ing' a foot rest forwardly adjacent the vertical front wall: of the box' member l4. As shown in Figure 4, the shelf member H is formed at its side margins with respective recesses 2i and" 22,. and" secured at 23 to the side wall of the box member [4 is a spring arm 24 to which is secured an inwardly projecting stud 25 which extends through an opening 26 formed in the side wall of the box member. The stud members 25- of the spring arms on the opposite sides of the box member are adapted tolockingl'y engage with the recesses 2|, thereby locking the shelf member I! in retracted position inside the box member, or alternatively, said stud members 25 are adapted to lockingly engage in the recesses 22, thereby locking, the shelf member H in anoutwardly extended position, as shown in Figures 4 and 2. The spring armv 24 isformed with a hook 21 at its free end, whereby the arm may be manually grasped to flex it outwardly, thereby disengaging the stud 25 from locking. engagement with the recess in the marginal edge of the shelf member ll, whereby said shelf member may be moved.

The box member I4 is provided with a hinged rear wall, shown at 28, the hinge connection thereof being at its top edge, as shown at 29, and the wall member 28 being provided with a conventional latch, shown at 30, lockingly engageable with a detent or catch 3] carried by the rear edge ofthe bottom. wall of the box member. It will be apparent from Figure 2 that the rear wall member 28 defines a hinged closure for the box member.

Designated generaly at 32 is a back rest comprising? an upholstered cushion member- 33- secured to apair of parallel bar members 34, 34 detachably secured to the rear wall element 28 of the box member 14-. As shown in Figures 2,v 3

and 6, the bar members 34 are provided adjacent their ends with a pair of inverted keyhole-shaped openings 35, 35, and secured rigidly to the rear wall member 28 are respective vertically spaced pairs of headed studs 36, 36 adapted to be received in the respective openings 35, 35 of the arms 34, 34. As shown in Figure 6, each stud 36 has rigidly secured thereto a washer member 31, the shank portion of the stud extending through the rear wall member 28 and being secured thereto by a nut 38. Enough space is provided between the washer 3'! and the head of the stud 36 to accommodate the thickness of an arm 34. Secured at 39 to one of the arms 34 subadjacent one of the inverted keyhole-shaped openings 35, as shown in Figure 6, is a spring arm 40 whose free end is arranged to overlap the en larged lower portion of the opening 35 and to restrain the arm 34 against upward movement, whereby the stud 36 is kept in the smaller portion of the opening 35, thereby locking the arm 34 to the stud 36. The spring arm 48 has a hookshaped end 4i, providing a means for manually flexing the arm 46 outwardly, for example, to the dotted line position shown in Figure 6, whereby the arm '34 may be elevated to a position wherein the head of the stud 36 will be positioned in the larger portion of the opening 35, permitting the arm 34 to be disengaged from the stud 36. Normally, the spring arm 48 restrains the arm 34 against such movement with respect to the stud 36.

Designated at 42, 42 are respective arm rests provided with depending parallel supporting bars 43, 43 which are detachably secured to the side walls of the box-shaped member I4 in the same manner as described above concerning the securement of the back rest 32.

Engaged around the rearward bars 43 and bearing on the intermediate portions of the side margins of the top wall of box member I4 are respective ring-shaped bracket members 44, 44 to which are connected respective adjustable flexible straps 45, 45, said straps having secured to their ends rings 46, 46 which are engaged with the hook portions 41 of the S-shaped hook members 48, 48. As shown in Figure 3, the lower hook portions of members 48, 48 are engaged over the opposite side edges of the seat l2, whereby box member I4 may be securely anchored to the seat by tightening the flexible strap members 45, 45. When the strap members 45, 45 are thus tightened, the members 41, 4'! are securely anchored to the side edges of the seat I2 and cannot be released unless the strap members 45, 45 are loosened.

The arm rests 42, 42 may be replaced at times by a tray member, designated generally at 49, said tray member being provided with depending supporting arms 50, 58 provided with the inverted keyhole-shaped openings 35, already described in connection with the back rest 32, and adapted to interlock with the headed studs at the sides of the box member I 4 in the same manner as the arms 34, 34 of the back rest 32, and as the arms 43, 43 of the arm rests 42. One of the de pending arms 50 is provided with the resilient locking arm 48 identical to that provided on the supporting arms of the back rest 32 and of the arm rests 42, 42.

Various types of securing means for the depending arms of the back rest, arm rests and tray member may be employed. For example, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the side walls and rear wall of the box member I4 may be provided with rectangular socket members 60, 60 adapted to receive the depending arms of the respective attachments. For example, one of the socket elements 68 in Figure 8 receives the depending arm 50 of the tray member 49, and similar sockets 60 receive the depending arms 34 of the back rest 32. As shown in Figure 9, secured at 6| to the side wall of one of the socket members 60 provided on the rear wall member 28 is a spring arm 24 identical to that disclosed in Figure 4, said spring arm being provided with the stud 25 which is adapted to extend through an opening in the side wall of the socket member 68 and to engage in a recess 62 in the depending arm 34. As shown in Figure 8, the rear socket 60 on each side wall of the box member I4 may be similarly equipped with a spring arm 24 provided with a stud 25 adapted to engage in a recess in the depending arm 50 of the tray member 48, where the tray member is employed with the childs seat, or in a recess provided in the rear depending arm of the arm rest supported in the sockets 68, 60 at the side of the box member I4.

'As further shown in Figures 8 and 10, the S- shaped anchor members 41 may be engaged with a vertical side frame element 63 of the chair instead of with the seat portion 12 thereof, in the manner shown in Figure 10, wherein the large hook portion 48 of the anchor bracket is engaged beneath the frame element 63 and is held in engagement with said element 63 by the tension produced in the flexible strap member 45, said flexible strap member passing over the side marginal edges of the seat I2, as shown in Figure 10.

When the seat is not being used, the various detachable parts, such as the back rest, the arm rests, the tray member, and the like, are housed inside the box member I4, the shelf member I! being locked in a retracted position. The box member l4 may be also employed for housing various other accessories incidental to childrens traveling requirements, such as articles of clothing, babies equipment, and the like.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved portable childs seat attachable to a conventional larger seat have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A childs chair adapted to be attached to the seat of a larger chair, said childs chair comprising a hollow rectangular body, a shelf member slidably mounted in the lower portion of said body and being movable to a forwardly extending position with respect to said body, an upstanding back rest detachably secured to the rear wall of said body, and respective resilient detent members secured to the sides of said body and being lockingly engageable with the side edges of said shelf member.

2. A childs chair adapted to be attached to the seat of a larger chair, said childs chair comprising a hollow rectangular body, a shelf member slidably mounted in the lower portion of said body and being movable to a forwardly extending position with respect to said body, an upstanding back rest detachably secured to the rear wall of said body, upstanding arm rests detachably secured to the sides of said body, and

respective resilient detent members secured to the sides of said body and being lockingly engageable with the side edges of said shelf member.

3. A childs chair adapted to be attached to the seat of a larger chair, said childs chair comprising a hollow rectangular body provided with a hinged rear wall defining a closure for said body, a shelf member slidably mounted in the lower portion of said body and being movable to a forwardly extending position with respect to said body, an upstanding back rest detachably secured to said rear wall, a tray member, depending side arms secured to said tray member, means detachably securing said side arms to the sides of said body, respective resilient detent members secured to the sides of said body and being lockingly engageable with the side edges of said shelf member, respective rigid hook members engageable with the side portions of a larger chair, and respective flexible members connecting said hook members to the upper portions of the sides of said body.

MELVILLE G. HUNTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

